Sure, you can get some information from:
the wrox website but here is an annotated table of contents:
Chapter 1: Developing Successful Oracle Applications
Here I cover topics such as why it is fairly important to understand how your database works, how transactions work, how things in general in your database of choice works (and every database works differently). This is done by relating observations of what happened when the database and its implementation was ignored..
Chapter 2: Architecture
Here I go over the architecture of the Oracle database from the organization of the SGA, how memory is used by the various Oracle processes to the Oracle processes themselves (what they are, what they do and how they interact)
Chapter 3: Locking and Concurrency
This section covers the ins and outs of locking in Oracle, the various types of locks/latches, how to use them (and not use them) and how concurrency control in Oracle is implemented.
Chapter 4: Transactions
Covers the transaction control statements, what they do and how to use them. Cover also how integrity constraints work with transactions, "bad" transaction habits I've observed, distributed transactions and lastly how redo and rollback work (what the server does to support transactions) in Oracle
Chapter 5: Redo and Rollback
Covers most things you would want to know about redo and rollback in Oracle..
Chapter 6: Database Tables
Many people don't know there is more then one type of table -- we have heap tables, index organized tables, clustered objects, hash clustered objects, nested tables, temporary tables and object tables -- this chapter explores the implementation and uses of each
Chapter 7: Indexes
Like tables -- there is more then one index structure. Here we cover b*trees (and the various types of b*trees out there), bitmaps, function based, and domain indexes. This section also has a "FAQ" on indexes covering what I've seen to be the most frequently asked questions on indexes.
Chapter 8: Import and Export
Chapter 9: Data Loading
These two chapters cover the ins and outs of using the IMP/EXP and SQLLDR tools with examples and suggested uses for the tools, lots of examples.
Chapter 10: Tuning Strategies and Tools
Covers an approach to tuning (it starts from day 1 of design). How to use the supplied tools everyone has access to such as sql_trace, timed_statistics, tkprof, statspack, dbms_profiler, and so on.
Chapter 11: Optimizer Plan Stability
Discusses the implementation of an advanced query hinting facility in Oracle8i..
Chapter 12: Analytic Functions
Starting with 8i, release 2 -- Oracle added dozens of analytic functions. These functions are extremely powerful in day to day usage (you need not be a statistician to make use of these functions every day). This chapter goes into how they work, what they do and how to use them.
(most of the chapters that follow have this format now:
o intro to topic
o how topic works
o why you might want to use topic
o examples of topic
o caveats to be aware of with regards to topic
o summary)
Chapter 13: Materialized Views
A materialized view is a way of answering complex questions ahead of time and can be used to take a query that would take hours to execute and get the answer in milli-seconds. This chapter explores materialized views, how they work... (that list from above)
Chapter 14: Partitioning
Same for partitioning (that list)
Chapter 15: Autonomous Transactions
Autonomous transactions are a new 8i feature that are sometimes misunderstood (or missed all together). This chapter goes into detail as to what they are and why they are (the list again)
Chapter 16: Dynamic SQL
Covers dynamic sql in PLSQL
Chapter 17: interMedia
Using interMedia text to query, summarize, and theme textual data..
Chapter 18: C-Based External Procedures
How to write an external procedure in C ( a stored procedure written in C)
Chapter 19: Java Stored Procedures
What they are, why they are, how to do them, (that list again)
Chapter 20: Using Object Relational Features
covers the object relational features of Oracle8i, what they mean to you and how to use them.
Chapter 21: Fine Grained Access Control
How the virtual private databases (VPD) function is implemented in Oracle, how/when to use it.
Chapter 22: n-Tier Authentication
Covers the ability for a middle tier application to "proxy" log in on behalf of some user.
Chapter 23: Invoker and Definer Rights
What the differences between invokers and definers rights are and how they affect the execution of stored procedures written in Java, C or PLSQL.
Appendices
Appendix A: Necessary Supplied Packages
Covers all of the goodies Oracle supplies out of the box like dbms_job, dbms_application_info and so on...
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Thomas Kyte (tkyte@us.oracle.com)
http://asktom.oracle.com/ Expert one on one Oracle, programming techniques and solutions for Oracle.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1861004826/ Opinions are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of Oracle Corp
